1
The College Seal
In September, 1887, Luther Halsey Gulick while completing his medical
degree at New York University, was appointed to the faculty at the School for
Christian Workers as head of the Physical Department. David Allen Reed’s
venture in education was realized only two years prior to Dr.Gulick’s
appointment, January 28, 1885, with the founding of The School for Christian
Workers. Reed envisioned a Christian school to prepare young men for Christian
service in the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Sunday schools, and
other missionary activities of the church. In realizing this vision, the curriculum
was primarily focused upon religious education (Doggett,1943).
Dr. Gulick, a pioneer in physical education, was determined to offer physical
training for gymnasium instructors to supplement the religious education; that is
“to see that these men shall be intelligent teachers, men who shall know what to
do, how to do it, and why it is to be done”(Doggett, 1943, p. 48). Gulick believed
strongly that the men should be scientifically trained and educated “so as to
elevate the whole profession of physical education”(Doggett, 1943, p.50).
Gulick was greatly influenced by Delphine Hanna at Oberlin College.
(Doggett, 1943). In a conversation with T.D. Wood, while students at Oberlin,
Gulick recalls
Sitting beside a rail fence … we looked forward to the future of
physical training. We spoke of the relation of good bodies to good
morals; we thought of the relation of bodily training to mental training …
and the glimpse we secured that day of the future remained a prophecy
of the work each of us was to do. (Doggett, 1943, p.46)
Prof. Wood, M.D. was to become the Director of Physical Education at Teachers
College, Columbia University (Doggett, 1943).
The writings, philosophies, teachings of others such as Plato, Gutsmuths,
Montaigne, Rousseau, Jahn, and most prominently the British professor, MD,
and author, Charles Henry Schaible also helped shape Gulick’s thinking
(Doggett, 1943). Schaible (1878) wrote An Essay on the Systematic Training of
the Body, dedicated to Frederick Ludwig Jahn on the 100th anniversary of Jahn’s
birthday. Jahn established the first Turnverein in 1811 to develop fitness through
gymnastic exercises. In Jahn’s clubs, mental development complimented the
physical training through reading and debate (Naismith, 1891). Similarly,
Schaible promoted Physical Education saying “the object of school life ought to
be the training up of the young to intellectual, moral, and physical maturity” (p.
113; also cited in Gulick’s Our New Gymnastics, 1889, p. 100) and further writes:
However different mind and body are respectively in their
nature and functions, they form together an inseparable whole.
2
True education, therefore ignores a separation of mind and
body; it demands a unification of the whole man - not only
that of the understanding of heart, and the will, but also that
of the senses and muscles. It knows that if one part of the
system suffers the whole man suffers. What is beneficial to
the body, is so to the mind. (Schaible, 1878, p. 96; also cited
in Doggett, 1943, p. 51)
Schaible’s thoughts reflect the reasoning of ancient Greek philosophers to
strengthen body and mind and that of Jahn, the founder of modern gymnastics in
Germany who Schaible quotes: “It is the intent of gymnastics to restore to our
education that completeness which has been lost; to add bodily training to one-sided
mental culture…”(p. ii). The 16th century Renaissance philosopher,
statesman, and writer, Michel de Montaigne’s thoughts were prescient: “It is not a
mind, not a body, that we have to educate; it is a man, of whom we are not to
make two beings (p.ii).” Johann Christoph Friedrich Gutsmuths, promoter of
physical education within the school curriculum and author of the first textbook in
gymnastics (Gymnastic fῢr die Jugend,1793) influenced Schaible’s thinking as
well: “As long as man here below has a body, as long as his earthly existence
involves corporeal life, a life which, if it be without strength and endurance,
without skill and aptitude, will fade away into an empty shadow, so long the art of
gymnastics ought to occupy a principal place in the education of mankind “(p.ii).
Gulick also studied the history of the YMCA movement and the dedication of
its leaders to the development of men through not only spiritual means but also
through social, intellectual, and physical work. He realized the significance of
man as a unit, a concept that formed the basis of his philosophy of physical
education. In Our New Gymnastics, Gulick’s integration of Schaible’s philosophy
is expressed in his presentation to the International YMCA Convention in
Philadelphia, 1889:
Man is a unit. His capacities are very much greater than simply
the sum of those of the body alone, plus those of the mind alone,
plus those of the soul by itself. That is, each one gives to the others
not only all that it has itself, but also enable the others to be and do
far more than they could alone. Man might be called the product of
the three, rather than their sum. From a scientific standpoint the
Associations have a very valuable foundation for their work in the fact
that they are working for young men, not simply for their bodies, minds,
and souls, but for the salvation, development, and training of the whole
man, complete as God made him. While we recognize, of course, that
the intellectual is far more valuable than both, still we see the fundamental
necessity of all three, and work for the development of man as a whole.
(also cited in Doggett, 1943, p. 52)
3
Gulick’s philosophy of physical education, education for the whole man,
formed the basis of his philosophy of education which underscored the
curriculum development at the Training School as well as in the Associations.
The philosophy became the foundation for the curriculum of humanics, “the
study of human nature” (Doggett, 1943, p. 89).
To promote and popularize his philosophy at the Training School and among
the Associations, Gulick created a symbol, an inverted equilateral triangle, to
stand for the complete man. In The Triangle (Editorial, 1891, p. 9), he writes
the symbolic meaning of the Triangle as we use it is man in his three
natures, physical, mental, and spiritual united so as to form one being.
We believe that man is a unity formed of these three parts – the soul
is not the man; the mind is not the man; the body is not the man. Man
is the three in their proper relations to each other. Our Triangle is
equilateral; by this we mean that each part should be equally developed,
symmetrical with reference to itself, and also with reference to the other
parts.
With reference to physical education he continues, “thus we believe that physical
cultivation is an essential part of the development of perfect men and women” (p.
9).
In support of the triangle as a symbol for
the YMCA, Gulick (1892) writes
“the triangle as an emblem is intended for the
whole Association, not for the physical
department alone. The physical is only one side,
and the other departments of the Association fill
up the other two-thirds. … The educational
classes, the reading rooms, the social and the
spiritual parts of the work are all represented in
this design. …so that the emblem is to show that
we are all united in our efforts to produce a fully developed man in all the parts.
In answer to the supporters of the red cross, anything that can be urged against
the triangle can be used with double force against the red cross. It is the emblem
of a recognized organization, and outside of what has been read into it by usage,
it has little meaning in the form in which it is used. …As regards to the color, that
is a matter for each Association to decide. …One advantage of the triangle is its
simplicity, and the ease with which it may be made, so that the only difficulty is in
sewing it on the shirt, which is a small matter. It will be found well to keep it as
simple as possible….the triangle is intended to be worn with the base up… .” (p.
17).
Doggett (1943) recalls the first official emblem of the International YMCA
Training School was adopted in 1891. In David Allen Reed’s President’s Report
4
for the year ending June 10, 1891 he noted that a separate corporation for the
Young Men’s Christian Association Training School was to be organized for the
sole work of preparing men for the Secretaryship, Physical Directorship and other
offices of the YMCA (Reed, 1891). During that year, the name of the Corporation
was changed to the International YMCA Training School (a school having started
in Chicago with our identical name). Further, he notes, the trustees at their last
meeting, March 13, 1891, voted to adopt a triangle as the emblem of the school,
and this passage of Scripture as the motto: Eph. 4 : 13. On the sides of the
Triangle were the words mind (left side) and body (right side) with spirit on the
top side (recommended for adoption January 9, 1891 trustee minutes). According
to Doggett (1943, p. 54), “the symbol of the Triangle became the emblem of the
Training School five years before it became an emblem of the Y.M.C.A.” While
no records at the time of his writing were found to identify the date on which
Gulick conceived of the idea of using the Triangle to symbolize his philosophy of
the unity and symmetry of man, Doggett estimated that it was in the spring or
summer of 1889. In 1890, an editorial in the Springfield Union appeared:
It is interesting to note that the students of this department [physical]
have adopted as their emblem an equilateral triangle, standing with its
base up, representing the three sides of man equally developed and
made into one. This theory which is advanced by Dr. Gulick is in line
with the most advanced thought of the day, and is already receiving
considerable attention from thinking men. . . . If this theory is true, it
lies at the bottom of all education, and we may thus expect to see this
school become one of the influential centers of the country in regard
to the philosophy of education. (Doggett, 1943, p. 54)
In 1894, Gulick offered a detailed explanation regarding the meaning of the
triangle. He begins, “In view of the adoption of the triangle as an emblem by
some Young Men’s Christian Associations, a concise statement of its meaning is
perhaps in place. The following is offered….”
While he understood the triangle itself was not an uncommon symbol, he
presented the inverted equilateral triangle that
stands, not for body or mind or spirit, but for the man as a whole…
the triangle is not simply three separate sides, but these three sides
are so joined together as to form a triangular figure, which differs in
shape absolutely and radically from any one of its sides. Thus with
the individual man, he is not a body and a mind and a spirit, but a
wonderful result of their union, something entirely different from any
single aspect of himself. …The Triangle stands, not merely for a
symmetrical body, a symmetrical mind, a symmetrical character, but
for the symmetrical man, each part developed with reference to the
whole, and not merely with reference to itself….Each of the three is
absolutely essential, although each has a different value…and each
is dependent on the others. (p. 14)
5
He continues…
“Why should this emblem be adopted by the Young Men’s Christian Association
if it is a broad and generally accepted truth?” His answer: “ The Young Men’s
Christian Association is the only great institution of the world which, in a large
way, is putting this belief into actual practice” (p. 14).
Specific to the Training School, in the Quarterly Report to the Trustees of the
International YMCA Training School, on December 17, 1891, Gulick,
Superintendent of the Physical Department writes, “The triangle having been
adopted by so many Associations, it has seemed wise to have some distinctive
form as a department emblem; accordingly, the scarlet triangle with the grey
center, with the year of the course, over both, has been adopted.”
The adoption of the school emblem, the equilateral triangle, by the trustees,
faculty, and students was reported in the International Young Men’s Christian
Association Training School Catolgue (refer to 6th catalogue, 1890-91, June 10,
1891) along with the Physical Department motto, E Tribus Unum (from three,
one; the complete man) with the following explanation:
“The whole work of this department is
founded on a few general principles,
and all the studies are considered with
reference to those principles. These
principles are:
I. Unity.
Man is a unit: body, mind, and
soul forming one complete whole,
neither complete without the others.
II. Law of Symmetry.
The best results can be secured
only when man as a whole is
symmetrically developed, not merely
each nature with reference to itself, but
each nature in relation to others.
III.“Function makes Structure.”
The doing of a thing tends to
increase the ability to do that thing.
Thus, doing all-round exercises, those
which demand symmetrical bodies,
tends to produce symmetry.
The school seal was modified in 1892 (President Henry Lee’s Report, June
8, 1892 in the International YMCA Training School notes, seventh annual report).
At the quarterly meeting of the trustees, held December 16, 1891, the following
was adopted as the seal of the school:
6
Two circles with different diameters, within which are the words
‘International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School,’
and within the smaller circle the school emblem, a triangle with base
upwards, and the words spirit, mind, and body, respectively upon the
base and two sides of the triangle. Above the triangle, and also within
the smaller circle, the words “A perfect man,” and beneath the apex of
the triangle, and also within the smaller circle, the words “Springfield,
Mass., U.S.A.” Within the triangle are the words “Eph. 4:13.”
The verse from Ephesians reads “till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ”(The Holy Bible, 1949)).
John Wesley interpreted the perfect man to be
a state of spiritual manhood both in
understanding and strength (Commentaries:
John Wesley’s Notes, 2009)).
Gulick later recalled, we wanted a design that “would stick right out;
something that could be seen, something that would not be confused with the
Red Cross and yet be just as simple and strong as it. We wanted something that
would work well in designs on sweaters, on letterheads, on signs on buildings,
and it seems as if the Triangle met these conditions pretty well.” (Gulick, 1918,
pp. 774-775). The Triangle represented an ideal, the wholeness, the unity and
symmetry of the perfect man.
An early reference to maroon and white and the varsity emblem is found in
Article X, Physical Education Committee Constitution (Association Seminar,
1909-1910, Vol. 18, p. 483, May, 1910) under School emblems: Section 1. “The
varsity emblem shall be a monogram consisting of a seven-inch equilateral
triangle with the letters T and S, and shall be a duplicate of the regulation pattern
kept by the chairman of the committee. Section 2. The modified emblem shall be
a monogram consisting of a four-inch equilateral triangle and the letters T and
S… .”
7
Over the years, questions have surfaced about the origin and meaning of the
circle around the triangle and more specifically, whether Dr. Gulick intended to
include the circle around the triangle to represent the whole man. While no direct
evidence could be found, an effort to answer the question may be in the article,
What the Red Triangle Stands For (Gulick,1918). Gulick states,“we went through
a phase of elaborating the Triangle. Some said we should put the circle around it
so as to indicate that what we were after was the perfect figure, the circle. But
this makes a soft, rounded figure and does not compare in strength with the
Triangle standing by itself” (pp.774-775).
We often hear the order of the words repeated as spirit, mind, and body or body,
mind and spirit. Gulick offered an explanation to such order in The Distinctive
Feature of the Physical Work in the Associations (Gulick, 1891) read at the 29th
International Convention of the YMCA in Kansas City, MO. Gulick writes about
the “unity and symmetry of body, mind and spirit in reference to the order of
value being spirit, mind, body and the order of development being body, mind,
and spirit”. This notion is explained within Gulick’s expression of symmetry:
The universal need is symmetry. By symmetry I mean a proportionate
development of man’s whole nature. I emphasize the word, proportionate,
for all parts are not equal, and should not be equally developed. The little
finger should be proportionately, but not equally, developed with the upper
arm. Body, mind, and spirit should be symmetrically, but not equally
developed. The order of value being of course spirit, mind, and body; the
order of development, body, mind, and spirit. ‘Howbeit that was not first
which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is
spiritual.’ (p. 2)
Earlier, in 1889, as noted, Gulick wrote “While we recognize of course that the
intellectual is far more valuable than the physical, and that the spiritual is infinitely
of more value than both, still we see the fundamental necessity of all three, and
work for the development of man as a whole” (p. 100).
In February 1891, the first issue of the newly created Triangle magazine
was published. Several variations of the triangle and its use are depicted in the
Training School Notes/Association Seminar, anniversary celebrations, athletic
gear, catalogues, and yearbooks. One illustration highlights the lamp of learning.
Others use the sides of the triangle as particular points of emphasis.
8
The emblem as depicted on page 5 o f this document remained in use
throughout Doggett’s tenure as President. In 1938, President Ernest Best
presented to the Board of Trustees a revision of the College seal that resembles
what we use today (Board of Trustees minutes, 1937-1939, Meeting of the
Instruction Committee of Springfield College, April 7, 1938). “The confusion
frequently resulting from the lengthy official title of the College and the outmoded
official emblem was considered, and the President submitted a simplified
emblem that the members of the Committee approved with the recommendation
that a copy be sent to all the Trustees for a mail vote.” On April 13, 1938, the
minutes note a call for an annual meeting of the Corporation in June to consider
and act upon a proposal to change the legal name of the College from
International YMCA College to Springfield College. The proposed emblem used
the Springfield College name. In the minutes of the Annual Corporators meeting
on June 11, 1938 is noted
…pertinent arguments both pro and con were presented by
various members and at the conclusion the proposers of the
original resolution appearing in the agenda withdrew it and
upon motion duly made, seconded unanimously carried. It
9
was that a committee be appointed by the President of the
College and President of the Corporation to take under
consideration the question of change of corporate name, the
committee to study carefully all phases of the question and
report back to a subsequent meeting of the corporation.
The minutes of January 11, 1939 note: “Upon motion duly made, seconded and
unanimously carried, it was: VOTED that active steps be taken to change the
name of the College to Springfield College when proper time should come.”
The corporate name was used on legal documents with the popular name,
Springfield College being more widely used. In 1954, under President Limbert’s
administration, Springfield College became the official name.
Ernest Best wrote in his Summary of Changes and Developments at
Springfield College from January 1, 1937 to September 1941 (Best papers) that
“the required use of the Springfield College seal, and no other, on college
material became policy. This was the triangle with the words, spirit, mind, and
body on the sides, the triangle enclosed in a circle with the words “Springfield
College, 1985.” To complete the symbol, I added the traditional “lamp of learning”
in the center of the triangle.”
A description of the College Emblem is found in the 1940-42 Springfield College
Bulletin (p. 19):
The seal of the College expresses our ideals of Christian leadership.
The triangle – spirit, mind, and body – represents the development of
all sides of personality in a complete whole, symbolized by the circle.
The conception, originated by Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick, founder of
Physical Education in the College, was later adopted by both the
Young Men’s and Women’s Christian Associations. The ideal of
wholeness of personality, socially motivated, provides the framework
upon which the educational program and administrative policies of the
College are constructed.
10
The college seal was registered as a trademark with the United States Patent
Office in 1968 (see attached document, U.S. Patent Office).
Betty L. Mann
Jeffery L. Monseau, archivist
June, 2009
Triangle.whitepaper.09
Bibliography
Association Seminar. (1909-1910). Article X, Physical Education Committee
Constitution, May, 1910,18, p. 483.
Best. E. (1937-1941). Summary of changes and developments at Springfield
College from January 1, 1937 to September 1941. (Ernest C. Best Papers,
unprocessed, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield College,
Springfield, Mass.)
Board of Trustees Minutes. (1937-1939). Meeting of the Instruction Committee of
Springfield College, April 7, 1938; minutes of Jan. 11, 1939. (Board of
Trustees Records, unprocessed, Archives and Special Collections,
Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.)
Commentaries: John Wesley’s Notes. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Bible.show/sVerseID/29286
/eVerseID/29286/RTD/JWN
Doggett, L. H. (1943). The man and his school. New York: Association Press.
Editorials. (1891, February). The Triangle, 1, (1), p. 9.
Gulick, L. H. (1889). Our new gymnastics. Paper presented before the
International YMCA Convention, Philadelphia, PA. (Luther Halsey Gulick
Papers, box 3, folder 1, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield
College, Springfield, Mass.)
Gulick, L. H. (1891, May 6-10). The distinctive features of the physical work in
the Association. Paper presented at the 29th International Convention of
Young Men’s Christian Association, Kansas City, MO. (Luther Halsey Gulick
Papers, box 5, folder 39, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield
College, Springfield, Mass.)
Gulick, L. H. (1891, December, 17). Quarterly Report to the Trustees of the
IYMCATS. (Board of Trustees Records, unprocessed, Archives and Special
Collections, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.)
Gulick, L. H. (1892, April). Prof. T. D. Wood. A.M., M.D. Physical Education, 1
(2), p. 25.
Gulick, L. H. (1892, March). The triangle as an emblem. Physical Education,
1(1), p. 17.
Gulick, L. H. (1894, January 18). What the triangle means. Young Men’s Era,
20(3), p. 14 (BV1040.W237)
Gulick, L. H. (1918, June). What the red triangle stands for. Association Men,
XLIII (10), pp. 774-775, 809.
Gutsmuth, J. C. (1793). Gymnastic fur die Jugend. Dresden, Germany:
W. Limbert. (Springfield College archives: call number GV465.G872)
International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School, Sixth Catalog,
1890-1891.
Lee, H. (1892, June 8). President’s report. International Training School Notes,
vol. 1(5), pp. 29-31. Seventh annual report of the International Young Men’s
Christian Association Training School.
Naismith, J.. (1891, May). Friedrich Ludwig Jahn.TheTriangle, 1, (4), pp.51-52.
Reed, D. A. (1891, June 10). President’s Report. 1890-1891 Sixth Annual
Report of the International Young Men’s Christian Association Training
School, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Schaible, C. H. (1878). An essay on the systematic training of the body.
London, UK: Trubner.
Springfield College Bulletin, catalog number 1940-1942, Springfield,
Massachusetts. The College at Springfield Bulletin, September, 1940, vol. xv
(1).
The Holy Bible. (1949). Book of New Testament. King James Version, London,
England.

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1
The College Seal
In September, 1887, Luther Halsey Gulick while completing his medical
degree at New York University, was appointed to the faculty at the School for
Christian Workers as head of the Physical Department. David Allen Reed’s
venture in education was realized only two years prior to Dr.Gulick’s
appointment, January 28, 1885, with the founding of The School for Christian
Workers. Reed envisioned a Christian school to prepare young men for Christian
service in the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Sunday schools, and
other missionary activities of the church. In realizing this vision, the curriculum
was primarily focused upon religious education (Doggett,1943).
Dr. Gulick, a pioneer in physical education, was determined to offer physical
training for gymnasium instructors to supplement the religious education; that is
“to see that these men shall be intelligent teachers, men who shall know what to
do, how to do it, and why it is to be done”(Doggett, 1943, p. 48). Gulick believed
strongly that the men should be scientifically trained and educated “so as to
elevate the whole profession of physical education”(Doggett, 1943, p.50).
Gulick was greatly influenced by Delphine Hanna at Oberlin College.
(Doggett, 1943). In a conversation with T.D. Wood, while students at Oberlin,
Gulick recalls
Sitting beside a rail fence … we looked forward to the future of
physical training. We spoke of the relation of good bodies to good
morals; we thought of the relation of bodily training to mental training …
and the glimpse we secured that day of the future remained a prophecy
of the work each of us was to do. (Doggett, 1943, p.46)
Prof. Wood, M.D. was to become the Director of Physical Education at Teachers
College, Columbia University (Doggett, 1943).
The writings, philosophies, teachings of others such as Plato, Gutsmuths,
Montaigne, Rousseau, Jahn, and most prominently the British professor, MD,
and author, Charles Henry Schaible also helped shape Gulick’s thinking
(Doggett, 1943). Schaible (1878) wrote An Essay on the Systematic Training of
the Body, dedicated to Frederick Ludwig Jahn on the 100th anniversary of Jahn’s
birthday. Jahn established the first Turnverein in 1811 to develop fitness through
gymnastic exercises. In Jahn’s clubs, mental development complimented the
physical training through reading and debate (Naismith, 1891). Similarly,
Schaible promoted Physical Education saying “the object of school life ought to
be the training up of the young to intellectual, moral, and physical maturity” (p.
113; also cited in Gulick’s Our New Gymnastics, 1889, p. 100) and further writes:
However different mind and body are respectively in their
nature and functions, they form together an inseparable whole.
2
True education, therefore ignores a separation of mind and
body; it demands a unification of the whole man - not only
that of the understanding of heart, and the will, but also that
of the senses and muscles. It knows that if one part of the
system suffers the whole man suffers. What is beneficial to
the body, is so to the mind. (Schaible, 1878, p. 96; also cited
in Doggett, 1943, p. 51)
Schaible’s thoughts reflect the reasoning of ancient Greek philosophers to
strengthen body and mind and that of Jahn, the founder of modern gymnastics in
Germany who Schaible quotes: “It is the intent of gymnastics to restore to our
education that completeness which has been lost; to add bodily training to one-sided
mental culture…”(p. ii). The 16th century Renaissance philosopher,
statesman, and writer, Michel de Montaigne’s thoughts were prescient: “It is not a
mind, not a body, that we have to educate; it is a man, of whom we are not to
make two beings (p.ii).” Johann Christoph Friedrich Gutsmuths, promoter of
physical education within the school curriculum and author of the first textbook in
gymnastics (Gymnastic fῢr die Jugend,1793) influenced Schaible’s thinking as
well: “As long as man here below has a body, as long as his earthly existence
involves corporeal life, a life which, if it be without strength and endurance,
without skill and aptitude, will fade away into an empty shadow, so long the art of
gymnastics ought to occupy a principal place in the education of mankind “(p.ii).
Gulick also studied the history of the YMCA movement and the dedication of
its leaders to the development of men through not only spiritual means but also
through social, intellectual, and physical work. He realized the significance of
man as a unit, a concept that formed the basis of his philosophy of physical
education. In Our New Gymnastics, Gulick’s integration of Schaible’s philosophy
is expressed in his presentation to the International YMCA Convention in
Philadelphia, 1889:
Man is a unit. His capacities are very much greater than simply
the sum of those of the body alone, plus those of the mind alone,
plus those of the soul by itself. That is, each one gives to the others
not only all that it has itself, but also enable the others to be and do
far more than they could alone. Man might be called the product of
the three, rather than their sum. From a scientific standpoint the
Associations have a very valuable foundation for their work in the fact
that they are working for young men, not simply for their bodies, minds,
and souls, but for the salvation, development, and training of the whole
man, complete as God made him. While we recognize, of course, that
the intellectual is far more valuable than both, still we see the fundamental
necessity of all three, and work for the development of man as a whole.
(also cited in Doggett, 1943, p. 52)
3
Gulick’s philosophy of physical education, education for the whole man,
formed the basis of his philosophy of education which underscored the
curriculum development at the Training School as well as in the Associations.
The philosophy became the foundation for the curriculum of humanics, “the
study of human nature” (Doggett, 1943, p. 89).
To promote and popularize his philosophy at the Training School and among
the Associations, Gulick created a symbol, an inverted equilateral triangle, to
stand for the complete man. In The Triangle (Editorial, 1891, p. 9), he writes
the symbolic meaning of the Triangle as we use it is man in his three
natures, physical, mental, and spiritual united so as to form one being.
We believe that man is a unity formed of these three parts – the soul
is not the man; the mind is not the man; the body is not the man. Man
is the three in their proper relations to each other. Our Triangle is
equilateral; by this we mean that each part should be equally developed,
symmetrical with reference to itself, and also with reference to the other
parts.
With reference to physical education he continues, “thus we believe that physical
cultivation is an essential part of the development of perfect men and women” (p.
9).
In support of the triangle as a symbol for
the YMCA, Gulick (1892) writes
“the triangle as an emblem is intended for the
whole Association, not for the physical
department alone. The physical is only one side,
and the other departments of the Association fill
up the other two-thirds. … The educational
classes, the reading rooms, the social and the
spiritual parts of the work are all represented in
this design. …so that the emblem is to show that
we are all united in our efforts to produce a fully developed man in all the parts.
In answer to the supporters of the red cross, anything that can be urged against
the triangle can be used with double force against the red cross. It is the emblem
of a recognized organization, and outside of what has been read into it by usage,
it has little meaning in the form in which it is used. …As regards to the color, that
is a matter for each Association to decide. …One advantage of the triangle is its
simplicity, and the ease with which it may be made, so that the only difficulty is in
sewing it on the shirt, which is a small matter. It will be found well to keep it as
simple as possible….the triangle is intended to be worn with the base up… .” (p.
17).
Doggett (1943) recalls the first official emblem of the International YMCA
Training School was adopted in 1891. In David Allen Reed’s President’s Report
4
for the year ending June 10, 1891 he noted that a separate corporation for the
Young Men’s Christian Association Training School was to be organized for the
sole work of preparing men for the Secretaryship, Physical Directorship and other
offices of the YMCA (Reed, 1891). During that year, the name of the Corporation
was changed to the International YMCA Training School (a school having started
in Chicago with our identical name). Further, he notes, the trustees at their last
meeting, March 13, 1891, voted to adopt a triangle as the emblem of the school,
and this passage of Scripture as the motto: Eph. 4 : 13. On the sides of the
Triangle were the words mind (left side) and body (right side) with spirit on the
top side (recommended for adoption January 9, 1891 trustee minutes). According
to Doggett (1943, p. 54), “the symbol of the Triangle became the emblem of the
Training School five years before it became an emblem of the Y.M.C.A.” While
no records at the time of his writing were found to identify the date on which
Gulick conceived of the idea of using the Triangle to symbolize his philosophy of
the unity and symmetry of man, Doggett estimated that it was in the spring or
summer of 1889. In 1890, an editorial in the Springfield Union appeared:
It is interesting to note that the students of this department [physical]
have adopted as their emblem an equilateral triangle, standing with its
base up, representing the three sides of man equally developed and
made into one. This theory which is advanced by Dr. Gulick is in line
with the most advanced thought of the day, and is already receiving
considerable attention from thinking men. . . . If this theory is true, it
lies at the bottom of all education, and we may thus expect to see this
school become one of the influential centers of the country in regard
to the philosophy of education. (Doggett, 1943, p. 54)
In 1894, Gulick offered a detailed explanation regarding the meaning of the
triangle. He begins, “In view of the adoption of the triangle as an emblem by
some Young Men’s Christian Associations, a concise statement of its meaning is
perhaps in place. The following is offered….”
While he understood the triangle itself was not an uncommon symbol, he
presented the inverted equilateral triangle that
stands, not for body or mind or spirit, but for the man as a whole…
the triangle is not simply three separate sides, but these three sides
are so joined together as to form a triangular figure, which differs in
shape absolutely and radically from any one of its sides. Thus with
the individual man, he is not a body and a mind and a spirit, but a
wonderful result of their union, something entirely different from any
single aspect of himself. …The Triangle stands, not merely for a
symmetrical body, a symmetrical mind, a symmetrical character, but
for the symmetrical man, each part developed with reference to the
whole, and not merely with reference to itself….Each of the three is
absolutely essential, although each has a different value…and each
is dependent on the others. (p. 14)
5
He continues…
“Why should this emblem be adopted by the Young Men’s Christian Association
if it is a broad and generally accepted truth?” His answer: “ The Young Men’s
Christian Association is the only great institution of the world which, in a large
way, is putting this belief into actual practice” (p. 14).
Specific to the Training School, in the Quarterly Report to the Trustees of the
International YMCA Training School, on December 17, 1891, Gulick,
Superintendent of the Physical Department writes, “The triangle having been
adopted by so many Associations, it has seemed wise to have some distinctive
form as a department emblem; accordingly, the scarlet triangle with the grey
center, with the year of the course, over both, has been adopted.”
The adoption of the school emblem, the equilateral triangle, by the trustees,
faculty, and students was reported in the International Young Men’s Christian
Association Training School Catolgue (refer to 6th catalogue, 1890-91, June 10,
1891) along with the Physical Department motto, E Tribus Unum (from three,
one; the complete man) with the following explanation:
“The whole work of this department is
founded on a few general principles,
and all the studies are considered with
reference to those principles. These
principles are:
I. Unity.
Man is a unit: body, mind, and
soul forming one complete whole,
neither complete without the others.
II. Law of Symmetry.
The best results can be secured
only when man as a whole is
symmetrically developed, not merely
each nature with reference to itself, but
each nature in relation to others.
III.“Function makes Structure.”
The doing of a thing tends to
increase the ability to do that thing.
Thus, doing all-round exercises, those
which demand symmetrical bodies,
tends to produce symmetry.
The school seal was modified in 1892 (President Henry Lee’s Report, June
8, 1892 in the International YMCA Training School notes, seventh annual report).
At the quarterly meeting of the trustees, held December 16, 1891, the following
was adopted as the seal of the school:
6
Two circles with different diameters, within which are the words
‘International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School,’
and within the smaller circle the school emblem, a triangle with base
upwards, and the words spirit, mind, and body, respectively upon the
base and two sides of the triangle. Above the triangle, and also within
the smaller circle, the words “A perfect man,” and beneath the apex of
the triangle, and also within the smaller circle, the words “Springfield,
Mass., U.S.A.” Within the triangle are the words “Eph. 4:13.”
The verse from Ephesians reads “till we all
come in the unity of the faith, and the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ”(The Holy Bible, 1949)).
John Wesley interpreted the perfect man to be
a state of spiritual manhood both in
understanding and strength (Commentaries:
John Wesley’s Notes, 2009)).
Gulick later recalled, we wanted a design that “would stick right out;
something that could be seen, something that would not be confused with the
Red Cross and yet be just as simple and strong as it. We wanted something that
would work well in designs on sweaters, on letterheads, on signs on buildings,
and it seems as if the Triangle met these conditions pretty well.” (Gulick, 1918,
pp. 774-775). The Triangle represented an ideal, the wholeness, the unity and
symmetry of the perfect man.
An early reference to maroon and white and the varsity emblem is found in
Article X, Physical Education Committee Constitution (Association Seminar,
1909-1910, Vol. 18, p. 483, May, 1910) under School emblems: Section 1. “The
varsity emblem shall be a monogram consisting of a seven-inch equilateral
triangle with the letters T and S, and shall be a duplicate of the regulation pattern
kept by the chairman of the committee. Section 2. The modified emblem shall be
a monogram consisting of a four-inch equilateral triangle and the letters T and
S… .”
7
Over the years, questions have surfaced about the origin and meaning of the
circle around the triangle and more specifically, whether Dr. Gulick intended to
include the circle around the triangle to represent the whole man. While no direct
evidence could be found, an effort to answer the question may be in the article,
What the Red Triangle Stands For (Gulick,1918). Gulick states,“we went through
a phase of elaborating the Triangle. Some said we should put the circle around it
so as to indicate that what we were after was the perfect figure, the circle. But
this makes a soft, rounded figure and does not compare in strength with the
Triangle standing by itself” (pp.774-775).
We often hear the order of the words repeated as spirit, mind, and body or body,
mind and spirit. Gulick offered an explanation to such order in The Distinctive
Feature of the Physical Work in the Associations (Gulick, 1891) read at the 29th
International Convention of the YMCA in Kansas City, MO. Gulick writes about
the “unity and symmetry of body, mind and spirit in reference to the order of
value being spirit, mind, body and the order of development being body, mind,
and spirit”. This notion is explained within Gulick’s expression of symmetry:
The universal need is symmetry. By symmetry I mean a proportionate
development of man’s whole nature. I emphasize the word, proportionate,
for all parts are not equal, and should not be equally developed. The little
finger should be proportionately, but not equally, developed with the upper
arm. Body, mind, and spirit should be symmetrically, but not equally
developed. The order of value being of course spirit, mind, and body; the
order of development, body, mind, and spirit. ‘Howbeit that was not first
which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is
spiritual.’ (p. 2)
Earlier, in 1889, as noted, Gulick wrote “While we recognize of course that the
intellectual is far more valuable than the physical, and that the spiritual is infinitely
of more value than both, still we see the fundamental necessity of all three, and
work for the development of man as a whole” (p. 100).
In February 1891, the first issue of the newly created Triangle magazine
was published. Several variations of the triangle and its use are depicted in the
Training School Notes/Association Seminar, anniversary celebrations, athletic
gear, catalogues, and yearbooks. One illustration highlights the lamp of learning.
Others use the sides of the triangle as particular points of emphasis.
8
The emblem as depicted on page 5 o f this document remained in use
throughout Doggett’s tenure as President. In 1938, President Ernest Best
presented to the Board of Trustees a revision of the College seal that resembles
what we use today (Board of Trustees minutes, 1937-1939, Meeting of the
Instruction Committee of Springfield College, April 7, 1938). “The confusion
frequently resulting from the lengthy official title of the College and the outmoded
official emblem was considered, and the President submitted a simplified
emblem that the members of the Committee approved with the recommendation
that a copy be sent to all the Trustees for a mail vote.” On April 13, 1938, the
minutes note a call for an annual meeting of the Corporation in June to consider
and act upon a proposal to change the legal name of the College from
International YMCA College to Springfield College. The proposed emblem used
the Springfield College name. In the minutes of the Annual Corporators meeting
on June 11, 1938 is noted
…pertinent arguments both pro and con were presented by
various members and at the conclusion the proposers of the
original resolution appearing in the agenda withdrew it and
upon motion duly made, seconded unanimously carried. It
9
was that a committee be appointed by the President of the
College and President of the Corporation to take under
consideration the question of change of corporate name, the
committee to study carefully all phases of the question and
report back to a subsequent meeting of the corporation.
The minutes of January 11, 1939 note: “Upon motion duly made, seconded and
unanimously carried, it was: VOTED that active steps be taken to change the
name of the College to Springfield College when proper time should come.”
The corporate name was used on legal documents with the popular name,
Springfield College being more widely used. In 1954, under President Limbert’s
administration, Springfield College became the official name.
Ernest Best wrote in his Summary of Changes and Developments at
Springfield College from January 1, 1937 to September 1941 (Best papers) that
“the required use of the Springfield College seal, and no other, on college
material became policy. This was the triangle with the words, spirit, mind, and
body on the sides, the triangle enclosed in a circle with the words “Springfield
College, 1985.” To complete the symbol, I added the traditional “lamp of learning”
in the center of the triangle.”
A description of the College Emblem is found in the 1940-42 Springfield College
Bulletin (p. 19):
The seal of the College expresses our ideals of Christian leadership.
The triangle – spirit, mind, and body – represents the development of
all sides of personality in a complete whole, symbolized by the circle.
The conception, originated by Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick, founder of
Physical Education in the College, was later adopted by both the
Young Men’s and Women’s Christian Associations. The ideal of
wholeness of personality, socially motivated, provides the framework
upon which the educational program and administrative policies of the
College are constructed.
10
The college seal was registered as a trademark with the United States Patent
Office in 1968 (see attached document, U.S. Patent Office).
Betty L. Mann
Jeffery L. Monseau, archivist
June, 2009
Triangle.whitepaper.09
Bibliography
Association Seminar. (1909-1910). Article X, Physical Education Committee
Constitution, May, 1910,18, p. 483.
Best. E. (1937-1941). Summary of changes and developments at Springfield
College from January 1, 1937 to September 1941. (Ernest C. Best Papers,
unprocessed, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield College,
Springfield, Mass.)
Board of Trustees Minutes. (1937-1939). Meeting of the Instruction Committee of
Springfield College, April 7, 1938; minutes of Jan. 11, 1939. (Board of
Trustees Records, unprocessed, Archives and Special Collections,
Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.)
Commentaries: John Wesley’s Notes. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Bible.show/sVerseID/29286
/eVerseID/29286/RTD/JWN
Doggett, L. H. (1943). The man and his school. New York: Association Press.
Editorials. (1891, February). The Triangle, 1, (1), p. 9.
Gulick, L. H. (1889). Our new gymnastics. Paper presented before the
International YMCA Convention, Philadelphia, PA. (Luther Halsey Gulick
Papers, box 3, folder 1, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield
College, Springfield, Mass.)
Gulick, L. H. (1891, May 6-10). The distinctive features of the physical work in
the Association. Paper presented at the 29th International Convention of
Young Men’s Christian Association, Kansas City, MO. (Luther Halsey Gulick
Papers, box 5, folder 39, Archives and Special Collections, Springfield
College, Springfield, Mass.)
Gulick, L. H. (1891, December, 17). Quarterly Report to the Trustees of the
IYMCATS. (Board of Trustees Records, unprocessed, Archives and Special
Collections, Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.)
Gulick, L. H. (1892, April). Prof. T. D. Wood. A.M., M.D. Physical Education, 1
(2), p. 25.
Gulick, L. H. (1892, March). The triangle as an emblem. Physical Education,
1(1), p. 17.
Gulick, L. H. (1894, January 18). What the triangle means. Young Men’s Era,
20(3), p. 14 (BV1040.W237)
Gulick, L. H. (1918, June). What the red triangle stands for. Association Men,
XLIII (10), pp. 774-775, 809.
Gutsmuth, J. C. (1793). Gymnastic fur die Jugend. Dresden, Germany:
W. Limbert. (Springfield College archives: call number GV465.G872)
International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School, Sixth Catalog,
1890-1891.
Lee, H. (1892, June 8). President’s report. International Training School Notes,
vol. 1(5), pp. 29-31. Seventh annual report of the International Young Men’s
Christian Association Training School.
Naismith, J.. (1891, May). Friedrich Ludwig Jahn.TheTriangle, 1, (4), pp.51-52.
Reed, D. A. (1891, June 10). President’s Report. 1890-1891 Sixth Annual
Report of the International Young Men’s Christian Association Training
School, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Schaible, C. H. (1878). An essay on the systematic training of the body.
London, UK: Trubner.
Springfield College Bulletin, catalog number 1940-1942, Springfield,
Massachusetts. The College at Springfield Bulletin, September, 1940, vol. xv
(1).
The Holy Bible. (1949). Book of New Testament. King James Version, London,
England.

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